John Gormley ‘ran an academy of European languages’, and Eamon Ryan set up a bike shop.

That means that out of the fifteen members of the cabinet, only the Greens have actual entrepreneurial experience.

In fairness to Ó Cuiv and Cullen, at least they worked in the private sector. Most of the rest worked only in the public sector (mostly as teachers) although lawyers are caught in a grey space between the public and private sector, depending on the nature of their practice.

Some became TDs quite young, and so only worked in ‘real jobs’ for a year or three before entering politics fulltime. Coughlan was 21, barely out of college. Biffo and Harney were 24. Several come from political dynasties.